22/01/2024
Today’s Announcements & News
Asia
Taiwan led gains in major Asia-Pacific markets on Friday, with the Taiwan Weighted Index jumping 2.63%, driven by a surge in chip stocks, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. In Japan, December inflation numbers showed the headline inflation rate cooling to 2.6%, the lowest since June 2022. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rebounded 1.4%, and the Topix rose 0.72%. South Korea’s Kospi gained 1.34%, while the small-cap Kosdaq saw a smaller gain of 0.28%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.02%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped 0.72%, and the mainland Chinese CSI 300 fell 0.15%.
US
The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high on Friday, rising 1.23% to settle at 4,839.81. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.05%, ending at 37,863.80, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.70% to 15,310.97. The Nasdaq-100 gained 1.95% to reach a record high. All three major averages are now in positive territory for 2024, with the Dow turning green during Friday’s rally. After a strong performance in 2023, the S&P 500 continued its upward trend, fueled by positive economic factors and a rebound from the previous year’s losses.
Commodity
Oil prices remained flat on Friday but were on track for a weekly gain as traders assessed tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to oil output caused by cold weather in the U.S. Brent crude futures were at $79 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) stood at $73.98. Gold prices firmed on Friday, although it marked its second down week in three, influenced by comments from Federal Reserve policymakers that tempered expectations of an early rate cut. Spot gold rose nearly 0.3% to $2,027.98 per ounce on Friday, while U.S. gold futures rose about 0.5% to $2,030.6.
The above analysis is only for the views of market researchers and is for reference only and is not regarded as a specific investment suggestion.